Allegedly
Allegedly, a 9-year old black girl kills a 3-month old white baby that her mother was caring for. Allegedly, this baby killer had a fair and just trial and she was sentenced to jail time and is now living in a group home. Allegedly, this horrible event is in the past and soon everyone can move forward in their lives. Allegedly: (1) accused but not proven or convicted (2) asserted to be true or to exist (Merriam Webster Dictionary 2017).
Definitely a five-star novel for me. The ending was fantastic, a powerful and wrenching conclusion that left me torn. I understood Mary’s position in the final pages but after everything she had lived through and endured, this ending was not what I had foreseen. Mary hadn’t disappointed me, there was no way that she could do that, it was that she took the side, I didn’t expect. Mary had made great strides in this novel.
Meet Mary, a psychopathic baby killer. She’s carried this label for years, keeping to herself, trying not to be noticed, for many people had read about her story and knew her name. Mary lives in a group home, doing community service in a nursing home. Ted doesn’t know about Mary’s past. These two develop a relationship and Mary finds herself pregnant. So many things don’t add up in Mary’s life now: pregnancy, baby killer, living in a group home, Ted, Mary’s future and the bullying that occurs in that group home. Yet something sparks within Mary, a determination within her. She has a baby and she knows that with her past, this baby will likely be taken from her. It is this determination, this fire and energy that I enjoyed about this novel. It’s not glamourous what occurs as Mary tries to fight the system: the obstacles, the frustration and the pain that is felt as Mary tries to handle what is thrown at her. She must deal with the truth of her past, she must confront it and uncover it. Her current situation adds fire to the flame and I find my emotions all over the place, fighting with Mary and others as we battle it out. I highly recommend this novel.
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